gisen and forsthoff razor

hi everyone, im a newbie, but i ordered a shave ready gisen and forsthoff razor from classicedge.ca a very reputable site. the owner assured me it would be sharp i shaved with it, and it was really tugging, i had terrible razor burn and it was a bad experience. anyways i sent it back for a honing saying that it wasnt shaving well, it got sent back, and another terrible shave experience. could it be the razor? is this considered a bad razor? like i said im new, i love the asthetics of this razor be i really hope its not the razor thats at fault. here is a picture of it

http://s21.postimg.org/4orwdmutj/photo.jpg
picture share

Just curious . . . did you strop your razor before shaving with it?

Regards - Walt

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Originally Posted by Walt

Just curious . . . did you strop your razor before shaving with it?

Regards - Walt

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no i didnt strop, BUT i asked the owner if i should strop before and he said the razor was honed and stropped by him personally, and will be its sharpest out of the box. i have REALLY think facial hair though, is it possible to have facial that is too think for a straight? i have really great shaves from my DE razor. i really want to start using a straight, and was hoping this razor would be a great start.

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Originally Posted by deejaykamoe

hi everyone, im a newbie, but i ordered a shave ready gisen and forsthoff razor from classicedge.ca a very reputable site. the owner assured me it would be sharp i shaved with it, and it was really tugging, i had terrible razor burn and it was a bad experience. anyways i sent it back for a honing saying that it wasnt shaving well, it got sent back, and another terrible shave experience. could it be the razor? is this considered a bad razor? like i said im new, i love the asthetics of this razor be i really hope its not the razor thats at fault. here is a picture of it

http://s21.postimg.org/4orwdmutj/photo.jpg
picture share

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I've gotten most of my blades from Classic Edge and Phil does a superb job honing the razors.

When you first get your razor from Classic Edge, it is advised just to wipe the oil off and shave. You'll get two shaves before you need to strop.

Being that you're new to this, I would suggest it's your blade technique and possibly your prep before you shave.

There are a number of videos and wiki's on the site that should be viewed and read thoroughly in order to provide some good knowledge on technique. Lynn's your first shave is a must!

Remember, this takes time, practice and patience, we all started this way, and it will come to you.

I remember my first shave, scraped the blade all over my face and ended up 30 minutes later with a partially shaved face and some razor burn.

Now, splash of cold water, lather up, shave and done in under 10 minutes...on the weekends, I can take my time and do the whole shave parade of hot shower, hot towels, pre-shave etc...

Do the watching and the reading, especially the first shave stuff, and take your time, a razor from Classic Edge is without a doubt, shave ready.

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Originally Posted by Phrank

I've gotten most of my blades from Classic Edge and Phil does a superb job honing the razors.

When you first get your razor from Classic Edge, it is advised just to wipe the oil off and shave. You'll get two shaves before you need to strop.

Being that you're new to this, I would suggest it's your blade technique and possibly your prep before you shave.

There are a number of videos and wiki's on the site that should be viewed and read thoroughly in order to provide some good knowledge on technique. Lynn's your first shave is a must!

Remember, this takes time, practice and patience, we all started this way, and it will come to you.

I remember my first shave, scraped the blade all over my face and ended up 30 minutes later with a partially shaved face and some razor burn.

Now, splash of cold water, lather up, shave and done in under 10 minutes...on the weekends, I can take my time and do the whole shave parade of hot shower, hot towels, pre-shave etc...

Do the watching and the reading, especially the first shave stuff, and take your time, a razor from Classic Edge is without a doubt, shave ready.

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im pretty sure its not my technique. i dont want to sound ignorant or anything i realize im a noobie but i have watched a ton of videos, and know the angle and pressure to put, and it really was skipping from the moment i put it on my face, it was never smooth. could it be the metal on this razor is thick behind the edge? and not thin enough for my thick facial hair? i dont know. i feel like it could be this razor? i havnt heard great things about timor.

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Originally Posted by deejaykamoe

im pretty sure its not my technique. i dont want to sound ignorant or anything i realize im a noobie but i have watched a ton of videos, and know the angle and pressure to put, and it really was skipping from the moment i put it on my face, it was never smooth. could it be the metal on this razor is thick behind the edge? and not thin enough for my thick facial hair? i dont know. i feel like it could be this razor? i havnt heard great things about timor.

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Question - how many shaves have you done with a straight?

i had a gold dollar before this, i have had a few shaves, and the gold dollar shaved better than this razor. i have shaved with a straight maybe 10 times or so? i dont nick myself i have the technique pretty well

A Gold Dollar?

MMMkay....off to work now...gotta go!

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Originally Posted by Phrank

A Gold Dollar?

MMMkay....off to work now...gotta go!

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a gold dollar is a cheap razor i got off ebay that i sharpened and honed myself. i got it to pass the hanging hair test, and was shavign alright, so i wanted to upgrade once i got the hang of it, and this razor i got hasnt been treating me very well

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Originally Posted by deejaykamoe

. i dont want to sound ignorant or anything i realize im a noobie but i have watched a ton of videos, and know the angle and pressure to put,

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You don't get to know angle and pressure from watching videos - you get it from shaving regularly. If you think the razor is not sharp enough get it evaluated by one of the seasoned honemeisters on this forum. If they spot a fault you then have some genuine evidence to go back to the supplier. Either that or ask the supplier to test shave it himself and see what he says.

My money is on poor technique.

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Originally Posted by UKRob

You don't get to know angle and pressure from watching videos - you get it from shaving regularly. If you think the razor is not sharp enough get it evaluated by one of the seasoned honemeisters on this forum. If they spot a fault you then have some genuine evidence to go back to the supplier. Either that or ask the supplier to test shave it himself and see what he says.

My money is on poor technique.

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but, is it possible that this razor is not a good razor? like i said i shaved with a gold dollar, a very cheap carbon steel razor and had better results than this razor

I know that being you haven't nicked yourself is probably a great thing to be proud of...but I have a razor from classic edge as well. There is nothing wrong with the razor nor the edge put on it. I can gaurantee you that it is either your technique or prep or both. The gold dollar may seem like it was smoother because your not used to a truly shave ready edge like the Forsthoff. Videos are awesome but you can not feel a video. Theres no way for you to say "oh that guy put this amount of pressure I now know how much to do myself" from a video. It takes time and practice and experimentation. In fact only recently have I thought that I have gotten really good technique and pressure. I have been at this almost a year now. I would still consider myself a newb. If the razor was skipping..it's you not the razor. I don't mean to sound confrontational but thats the problem.

The reason for Phrank's short post about the Gold Dollar is that they are not a reputable razor with many manufacturing problems and blade geometry issues. Some have gotten lucky and most have not. Some people will "modify" them by fixing the issues the razors has. They have to many inconsistencies that most people just avoid them.

Once you figure out how to use your new razor properly you will be a very happy person. Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are people here that have been using a straight for 30+years.

And no its not the razor. Gisen Forsthoff is a good brand.

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Originally Posted by cosperryan

I know that being you haven't nicked yourself is probably a great thing to be proud of...but I have a razor from classic edge as well. There is nothing wrong with the razor nor the edge put on it. I can gaurantee you that it is either your technique or prep or both. The gold dollar may seem like it was smoother because your not used to a truly shave ready edge like the Forsthoff. Videos are awesome but you can not feel a video. Theres no way for you to say "oh that guy put this amount of pressure I now know how much to do myself" from a video. It takes time and practice and experimentation. In fact only recently have I thought that I have gotten really good technique and pressure. I have been at this almost a year now. I would still consider myself a newb. If the razor was skipping..it's you not the razor. I don't mean to sound confrontational but thats the problem.

The reason for Phrank's short post about the Gold Dollar is that they are not a reputable razor with many manufacturing problems and blade geometry issues. Some have gotten lucky and most have not. Some people will "modify" them by fixing the issues the razors has. They have to many inconsistencies that most people just avoid them.

Once you figure out how to use your new razor properly you will be a very happy person. Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are people here that have been using a straight for 30+years.

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it wasnt skipping per se it was just grabbing the hairs instead of slicing through, it really hurt a lot to shave with, and the bumps on my face are disastrous. how come my shaves with a DE razor from the start have been great? there was no learning curve for me.

DE's are easy compared with a straight. Even with the cheap blades I get from walmart I can still get a decent shave from my DE's. The hardest part about learning a DE for me was moving the razor to go with the curves of my face because the head doesn't pivot like a cartridge razor does. What is your face prep when you use a straight? What soap/cream do you use? The suggested angle for a straight on a WTG pass is 30 degrees or about two spine widths. I personally like the angle a bit shallower but thats me. How's your stropping technique? That could also be a problem.

Another question I think might have been overlooked is when you honed your gold dollar, what is your honing setup? I don't suggest you take your new razor to the hones your self. You haven't yet have you.

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Originally Posted by cosperryan

DE's are easy compared with a straight. Even with the cheap blades I get from walmart I can still get a decent shave from my DE's. The hardest part about learning a DE for me was moving the razor to go with the curves of my face because the head doesn't pivot like a cartridge razor does. What is your face prep when you use a straight? What soap/cream do you use? The suggested angle for a straight on a WTG pass is 30 degrees or about two spine widths. I personally like the angle a bit shallower but thats me. How's your stropping technique? That could also be a problem.

Another question I think might have been overlooked is when you honed your gold dollar, what is your honing setup? I don't suggest you take your new razor to the hones your self. You haven't yet have you.

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no i was too scared to hone this by myself because its expensive compared to the gold dollar and didnt want to screw it up. im going to try to hone myself tonight. my stropping technique is fine and i didnt even have to strop the razor becasue it was shave ready and still i found it wasnt very sharp. i forget what the soap is that i use, i bought it a while back and its been lasting a long time. i would say i for sure keep a 30 degree angle shaving with the grain. im kind of leaning towards selling this razor and buying a thiers issard

Dont hone it. Please don't hone it. I am not saying that you can't do it but I am not saying that you can either. I don't know your abilities and will make no such claims. Also you haven't mentioned what hones you have. All I am saying is maybe send it to one of the honemeister members here. Also add your location and maybe try and get with some one in your area. What you learn in person in an hour or two can not be replaced with a lifetime of videos.

Of course if you are set on selling it... some of us sure wouldn't mind. :deal:

i have a naniwa 400, norton 3000/8000k, and a 12,000k, i sharpen my japanese kitchen knives all the time

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Originally Posted by deejaykamoe

i have a naniwa 400, norton 3000/8000k, and a 12,000k, i sharpen my japanese kitchen knives all the time

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Sounds like you have what you need. I think you mean naniwa instead of norton. Razors are different from knives. I don't claim to be an expert and in fact have only begun to hone my razors maybe a few months ago. I say if you really want to hone it yourself then go ahead. I would start on the 12k and do 10 or 20 laps on that and see what that does. The worst your going to do is wear away metal and not get it shave ready but in that case just send it out. Best case scenario you get a good edge and voila all your problems are solved.

What is your location? You might benefit from having a one-to-one meeting with a more experienced member of this forum.

It is a lot easier to discuss shave prep and proper technique in person than to do it reading a forum or watching a video. There is no human facial hair that is too thick for a properly honed SR, assuming proper technique is applied.

My take is when in doubt set the bevel and start over. Thats just me. I would say if I had your setup, the 3k sounds about right. I wouldnt use the 400 except for chip and heavy bevel work.

You haven't told us where you are in the world - maybe there is an experienced member close by who could lend a hand.
In my experience with this brand, I wouldn't think it is the blade however, it may be.
What makes me curious is that it has been back to the vendor and is still not doing what you want it to - mmmmmmmm interesting.
Let us know how you go with this one.
Sorry I can't offer anything else.

Would it not be a good thing to make it mandatory for members to inc. where they live under the screename.I think so:)

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Would it not be a good thing to make it mandatory for members to inc. where they live under the screename.I think so:)

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im from montreal canada

Lather up, sopping hot towell. Hold it on as long as you can, repeat. Lather up and try again. You should see a big difference.

From what I have gathered from the modern production of giesen & forsthoff razors, is that the quality is shoddy and they are not the best shavers.

This is an actual shave test it is the closest thing to foolproof although there is still some room for user error.. Test the razor using this and see what happens


http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...-test-vid.html

Make sure to keep the angle shallow (the spine should be no more than one or max two spine widths from your face) and also stretch the skin always. Pull the skin in the opposite direction that you are cutting.

Do a search in here for this brand of razor. There has been some previous commentary on them. I normally won't hone them and send them back to people who send them to me. I have written my concerns about these razors several times and expressed them to some of the people selling them as well as to the manufacturer.

Have fun.

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Originally Posted by Lynn

Do a search in here for this brand of razor. There has been some previous commentary on them. I normally won't hone them and send them back to people who send them to me. I have written my concerns about these razors several times and expressed them to some of the people selling them as well as to the manufacturer.

Have fun.

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I am surprised that it came from classicedge.ca. As the OP stated and in my opinion they are a very reputable site. Its a shame about the quality, its a very handsome razor.